One person will use between 80-100 gallons of water a day. A dripping faucet can lose up to 180 gallons and a leaky toilet can use 90,000 gallons of water in a month. A leak as small as 1/8" can waste over one-quarter million gallons of water in a three-month period and add more than $200 to your quarterly water and sewer charges. You can avoid costly surprises on your water bill and conserve water by performing periodic leak checks in your home. Click here to find out more about how to find leaks (click here for the brochure in Spanish).

Toilets

A quick check can be made by placing a few drops of food coloring into the tank after it has filled and quieted, and watching for its appearance in the bowl. If there is a leak, then color should appear within 15-30 minutes. Two common leak sites are at the overflow pipe and the flapper valve.

Click here for more information on how to find and fix toilet leaks (click here for the brochure in Spanish).

If your toilet still leaks after trying the repairs, or you do not feel comfortable doing the repairs yourself, you may need the assistance of a plumber or handyman. The cost to fix the leak will be covered by the money you will save in water and sewer charges.

Faucets

Check faucets regularly for leaks at the faucet head and seepage at the base and its connections. A leaking faucet is frequently the result of a bad rubber washer.

There are many different types of faucets so it is suggested to either search online for information on how to fix your type of faucet or refer to a book about fixing faucets.

If your faucet still leaks after trying the repairs, or you do not feel comfortable doing the repairs yourself, you may need the assistance of a plumber or handyman. The cost to fix the leak will be covered by the money you will save in water and sewer charges.

Underground Leaks

Maintaining underground piping on the customer’s side of the water meter, beginning at the connection between the meter and the customer’s service line, is the responsibility of the customer. Leaks in underground plumbing can be caused by many different factors, including rusting through from age or from stray electric currents from other underground utilities that can prematurely rust metallic piping, driving over piping with heavy trucks or equipment, poor initial installation, freezing and thawing of a pipeline, leaking joints or valves, or high pressure transients from open and closing valves or starting and stopping pumps quickly.

Signs of underground leaks include:

Unusually wet spots in landscaped areas and/or water pooling on the ground surface.

An area that is green, moldy, soft, or mossy surrounded by drier conditions.

A notable drop in water pressure/ flow volume.

A sudden problem with rusty water or dirt or air in the water supply (there are other causes for this besides a leak)

A portion of an irrigated area is suddenly brown/dead/dying when it used to be thriving (water pressure is too low to enable distant heads to pop up properly).

Heaving or cracking of paved areas.

Sink holes or potholes.

Uneven floor grade or leaning of a structure.

Unexplained sudden increase in water use, consistently high water use, or water use that has been climbing at a fairly steady rate for several billing cycles.

If any of these conditions exist at your facility or home, you may have a leak. If you suspect a leak, you may need to hire a professional leak detection company to pinpoint its exact location and a contractor to perform the repairs.

Residential Leak Adjustments

If you would like to see if you pre-qualify for a leak adjustment please call Town Hall 252-332-5146.

Remember, it is your responsibility to make sure all leaks are repaired in a timely manner. The Town of Ahoskie Water System is responsible for the main water line and the meter itself. Leaks on the Town’s line do not affect the charges on your water bill.